Middle East

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said that more pressure should be applied to Russia in order to secure a ceasefire. She urged G7 nations intensify sanctions to achieve this goal. The leaders of the largest industrial countries are meeting in Canada’s Rockies, along with European nations. They want to keep the conflict in Ukraine on the minds of U.S. president Donald Trump, despite the fighting between Israel and Iran taking place in the Middle East. The European Union has decided to adopt new sanctions against Russia. However, they have not been able to convince Trump, who...

Hong Kong's chief executive has said that the stock exchange will be attracting listed companies from Southeast Asia and Middle East for second listings, as it looks to improve its global reputation. Bonnie Chan, a spokesperson for Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd. (HKEX), said that the number of mainland China listed companies seeking to list in Hong Kong in order to raise capital in order to fund their global expansions is also increasing. Chan, the first woman CEO of HKEX, said that they are now focusing on companies who have already been listed on other markets, but may have...

Yemen's Iran aligned Houthis announced on Sunday that they were targeting Israel in coordination and coordination with Iran. This is the first time a group with an Iran alignment has publicly announced a joint attack with Tehran. In a recent televised speech, Yehya Saarea, the military spokesperson said that the Yemeni group had targeted central Israel's Jaffa in the past 24 hours with a number of ballistic missiles. He added: "This operation was coordinated along with the Iranian army's operations against the criminal Israeli enemies." Earlier, the Israeli military said that sirens had been activated in various areas of the...

Israel launched strikes against Iran on Friday. It targeted its nuclear facilities, missile factories, and military commanders as part of a long-term operation, which it has warned will be prolonged, to stop Tehran from building atomic weapons. According to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, oil storage and refining plants were not damaged by the attack. Here are some interesting facts about the energy industry of the country, its exports, and the impact that previous Western sanctions had on it. SANCTIONS & OPEC According to OPEC, Iran's oil output peaked in the 1970s. In 1974 it reached a...

The Omani Foreign Minister announced on Thursday that the sixth round of U.S. - Iran nuclear talks would be held in Muscat on Sunday, following Donald Trump's reiteration on Wednesday that Tehran will not be permitted to possess a nuclear device. Trump announced on Wednesday that U.S. personnel was being relocated from the Middle East, because it "could be a dangerous area". U.S. sources and Iraqi ones said that earlier, the U.S. prepared to evacuate its Iraqi Embassy and allow military dependents leave Middle East locations due to increased security risks. The four U.S. sources and two Iraqi ones did...

The Information reported Wednesday that OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, has spoken to Saudi Arabia's PIF and India's Reliance industries, as well as existing shareholders United Arab Emirates' MGX, about its 40 billion financing. According to the report, people who are familiar with the fund-raising said that the investors could each invest at least hundreds millions of dollars. SoftBank, OpenAI's main financier, is seeking to raise additional funds for its ambitious Stargate infrastructure plan and model development. Two sources familiar with the matter said that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had met earlier this year with India's Minister of IT and...

The major stock markets in the Gulf rose early on Wednesday, in line with Asian stocks. This was due to signs of progress between the U.S. Both countries' top officials said that they had reached an agreement on a framework for resuming their trade truce and removing China's export restriction on rare earths. The broadest MSCI index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan increased by 0.5%. Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index, which was traded after a break of four sessions, advanced by 1.2%. This was led by an increase of 1.7% in Al Rajhi Bank as well as a rise of...

Saudi Arabia's economy grew more than anticipated in the first quarter 2025, according government data estimates. Lower oil prices had a less significant impact on the economy than originally forecast. The Saudi General Authority for Statistics released a flash estimate of 2.7% in May. This was a significant improvement over the initial estimates. Monica Malik is the chief economist of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. She said that "the upward revision" was due to both a smaller contraction in the oil sector each year and a stronger growth in private sector. Initial estimates showed a contraction of 1.4%. The non-oil sector...

International Resources Holding, based in the UAE, has agreed to purchase a controlling interest in Alphamin Resources, a major tin producer in Africa. The deal is valued at C$503million ($367million), and comes as it expands its presence on the continent. IRH, a division of International Holding Co., has entered into an agreement with Tremont Master Holdings to purchase a 56% share in Alphamin for C$0.70 or approximately $367 million. The companies announced the deal in a joint press release. Alphamin's Bisie mine is located in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, an area rich in tantalum and tungsten, as well as...

JPMorgan reported on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia will issue bonds worth $12.6 billion for the rest of the year. The kingdom is resorting to debt markets as it makes huge investments in order to revamp its economy and reduce oil prices. The Gulf nation, which is forecasting a budget gap of $26,93 billion for this year, seeks funds to invest into new industries, and wean itself off oil, under its Vision 2030 Plan, by investing in tourism, manufacturing, and technology. Reports in April indicated that Saudi Arabia faces increasing pressure to increase debt or reduce spending following a drop in...

A survey released on Tuesday showed that the expansion of Saudi Arabia's private non-oil sector activity accelerated in May. This was due to an increase in new orders and a boost in business confidence. The seasonally-adjusted Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers' Index rose from 55.6 to 55.8 by May, firmly in the growth zone even though it is still below the peak level of 60.5 at the start of the year. In May, new order volumes recovered strongly from an eight-month low reached in April. This was due to a combination of increased demand, a strong sales performance and...

These are the most popular stories from the Financial Times. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch their accuracy. Headlines Defence Review: UK Must Spend 68 Billion Pounds to Modernise Military EU limits Chinese medical devices in a new trade dispute Saudi Aramco sells bonds worth $5 billion to combat lower oil prices Merck has held talks with Swiss biotech MoonLake to purchase it for more than $3bn Uber re-appoints Khosrowshahi as chief operating officer, easing his grip View the full article A long-awaited review of Britain's strategic defence suggests that the country will have to spend...

China continues to accumulate crude oil stocks, despite the fact that it refines less crude oil than it can produce or import. The world's largest oil importer can now buy less in the coming months, as prices rise due to Middle East tensions. Calculations based on data from the Chinese government show that the surplus crude in China reached 1.4 million barrels a day (bpd), the third consecutive month where it was above the 1,000,000 bpd mark. Since June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, Tehran has responded with missiles and drones. Brent futures have risen almost 6% in...

Early Asian trade on Monday saw oil prices rise after Israel and Iran launched new attacks on Sunday. This heightened fears of escalating conflict that could lead to a wider regional conflict, and disrupt Middle East oil exports. Brent crude futures rose $1.70 or 2.3% to $75.93 per barrel at 2253 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures gained $2.02 or 2.2% to $74.60. They were up more than $4 in the earlier part of the session. Both benchmarks closed 7% higher Friday after a session that saw them surge more than 13% to their highest level since January. Both militaries...

The oil prices in Asian trade fell on Wednesday, as the markets assessed the results of U.S. - China trade talks that have yet to be reviewed and analyzed by President Donald Trump. Weak Chinese demand for oil, along with OPEC+'s production increase, weighed on the market. Brent crude futures fell 19 cents or 0.3% to trade at $66.680 per barrel. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude dropped 16 cents or 0.3% to $64.82 as of 0318 GMT. U.S. officials and Chinese officials have agreed on a framework for re-establishing their trade truce and resolving China's export limitations on rare earth...

The oil prices dropped in the early hours of Wednesday's trade as the markets assessed the outcome U.S. - China trade talks that President Donald Trump has yet to review. Weak Chinese demand for oil and OPEC+ increased production were also weighing on the market. Brent crude futures fell 24 cents or 0.36% to trade at $66.63 per barrel. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude dropped 21 cents or 0.32% to $64.77 as of 0119 GMT. U.S. officials and Chinese officials have agreed on a framework for re-establishing their trade truce and resolving China's export limitations on rare earth minerals, magnets...

Oil prices fell a few pennies on Monday, but they held most of the gains made last week as investors waited for the U.S.-China talks to take place in London in the afternoon. Some investors were hoping that a deal would boost global economic growth and fuel demand. Brent crude futures fell 6 cents, to $66.41 per barrel at 0450 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude fell 4 cents, to $64.54. Three of Donald Trump's most senior aides are set to meet their counterparts at the first U.S. China economic and trade consultation mechanisms meeting. The announcement of the Saturday...

After the U.S. President Donald Trump resumed his trade talks with China's Xi Jinping, oil prices fell on Friday. However, they were still on track to gain their first weekly increase in three weeks. This was due to hopes of growth and higher demand in two of the world's largest economies. Brent crude futures dropped 12 cents or 0.2% to $65.22 per barrel at 0133 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude lost 15 cents (0.2%), to $63.22, following a gain of around 50 cents Thursday. Both benchmarks are on course to end the week higher, after two weeks of falling....

The oil price rose by more than $1 a barrel in the early Asian trading on Monday, after OPEC+ announced that it would increase production in July in the same way as in the previous two months. This was in line with the market expectations. Brent crude futures rose $1.06 or 1.69% to $63.84 a bar by 2244 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was at $61.95 a bar, up $1.16 or 1.91%. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) and its allies have decided to increase output by 411,000 barges per day for July. This is the...

The oil prices rose in the early hours of trading on Wednesday, as the U.S. banned Chevron's exports from Venezuela due to a new authorization for its assets there. This raised the prospect of a tighter supply. Brent crude futures gained 47 cents or 0.73% to $64.56 per barrel at 0028 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 49 cents or 0.8% to $61.38 per barrel. Sources reported that the Trump administration had issued a new approval for U.S. giant Chevron, which would allow it to retain assets in Venezuela without allowing them to export oil or expand their activities....

The oil prices were little altered on Tuesday, as the expectation that members of OPEC+ (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries plus their Allies) will decide to raise their production at a later meeting this week increased. Brent crude futures rose 11 cents or 0.2% to $64.85 per barrel at 0640 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), however, gained 6 cents or 0.1% to $61.59 per barrel. WTI did not settle Monday due to the U.S. Memorial Day Holiday. Daniel Hynes said that the crude oil price fell as the market pondered the prospect of a rising OPEC production. OPEC+...

The oil prices rose in the early Asian trading on Monday, after U.S. president Donald Trump extended the deadline for trade negotiations with the European Union. This eased concerns over U.S. duties on the EU that could harm the global economy and fuel the demand. Brent crude futures were up 37 cents or 0.6% to $65.15 a bar by 0001 GMT, while U.S. West Texas intermediate crude was up 32 cents or 0.6% at $61.87 a bar. Tony Sycamore, IG's market analyst, said: "Crude oil and U.S. stock futures are up this morning following the extension of the deadline by...

Oil prices fell on Thursday, as the unexpected buildup of U.S. crude oil and fuel inventories raised concerns about demand. Investors remained cautious, keeping their eyes on the renewed Iran-U.S. nuclear talks. Brent futures fell 33 cents or 0.5% to $64.58 per barrel at 0038 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude dropped 32 cents or 0.5% to $61.25. Both benchmarks fell by 0.7% on Tuesday. The Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday that U.S. crude oil and fuel inventories showed a surprise build last week. Crude imports reached a six-week peak and gasoline and distillate demands dropped. The EIA reported...

Four sources with knowledge of the matter have confirmed that Malaysia's Pengerang Refining Company, or Prefchem, has restarted its residue fluid catalytic (RFCC), after it was shut down for repairs in early 2018. One source said that the run rates of the Pengerang complex, in Johor which produces primarily gasoline, are still not at full capacity. They said that the unit had been closed since the end of January because of technical problems. In addition, the crude processing rate at the 300 000 bpd refinery has also fallen to an average of around 50% in the last four months. Prefchem,...